Sunday, 27 January 2013

Hello. I must be feeling autumnal today, with these warm but subdued colours. Perhaps it was something about the lovely mild weather we had in Melbourne today?Below: postcard of an untitled work by the Russian artist Ivan Kljun, c.1917. (I love that his surname means 'beak'!)

Actually, a rant before I sign off: the 'new' Blogger is still so annoyingly difficult to use. This is not the order that I wanted my pictures to be in, but they seemed to have a mind of their own this evening. Does anyone else still have these issues?!

Friday, 18 January 2013

Hi! Above, a gift for my friend Bridget. The wrapping is a patchwork of print outs and magazine tears. I think that patchwork wrapping will become my new hobby, it's fun! It sits on a tablecloth that was probably embroidered by my maternal great grandmother. (As a young girl, she was a lady in waiting to a countess, and was skilled in a great number of crafts. I'd like to think it's been passed down.)

Above: vintage wrapping paper, waiting to be flattened and placed on a wall. It calls to mind my friend Anna's fantastic exhibition held last year at The Rooftop at Curtin House.

Above: forbidden love between a mushroom (made by me) and a giraffe (vintage). I wonder what the offspring would look like....

Above: this is where I am presently sitting. The wall collection is looking decidedly brown and dully-coloured for me. A new phase. Not a great photo either, sorry.

Above and below: In the kitchen, vintage stuff largely bought from Etsy and around Melbourne. The beautiful blue Beehive knitting needle size guide above belonged to my friends' David and Margaret's late mum. (More here.)

Above: 1950s bathers which I bought at a flea market in Fiesole many, many years ago but have unfortunately never worn as the elastic shirring at the back is very loose. She is a beauty though, isn't she? I am also enjoying the colour green more than usual lately. I really go through phases with colour. Do you?.

Thursday, 10 January 2013

This week I read and gawped at the wonderful images in Amanda Brooks' I Love Your Style (New York, 2009). Having recently read Fashion and Sustainability: Design for Change (by Kate Fletcher & Lynda Grose, London 2011) it seems to me that guides to perpetual style are increasingly required in this world of fast disposable fashion. The making of clothing is so fraught -- from the production of textiles using dangerous pesticides and water polluting fabric dyes, to questionable labour conditions and the sheer volume of discarded goods destined for landfill -- that it's actually mind boggling.

For me the solution is to love what you have, buy vintage, support the few brands that care about how their goods are produced, make your own or have someone else make things for you. And to know what suits you and makes you happy. While an imagined "Jackie O in Capri '65" look is one of my favourite style aspirations, this rather more formal Chanel suit above would still get a good work out if it was in my wardrobe, though probably not worn together.

Above: reminder to self that I must make a replica of this coat before next winter (rather unlikely).

Above: Let's be realistic about this whole style thing. If you have a face like Catherine Deneuve's youcan get away with wearing (and possibly doing) ANYTHING. Those cheekbones are perfect. 1966.

Brooks' book contains some beautiful, colourful and fantastically inspiring images. I have chosen a relatively dull selection, but that's where I am at right now. I would love to know what (or who) other people would choose as their style aspirations....

I was very excited to discover that my painted mirrorswere recently shown on Apartment Therapy! I am an avid admirer of the site, and especially love to lurk around the wonderful Kitchn. In fact I have probably spent too much time in The Kitchn to look anywhere else -- which sounds like my life at the in general at the moment. (There has been so much sweet food preparation in the props department at work lately that I do not care to EVER see icing or lollies again. OK -- maybe until next week.)

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

Increasingly enamoured of this lovely vintage wrapping paper left over from Christmas -- thanks WK. Inspires me to improve my potato printing skills, among other things.
Happy 2013 to one and all.....may it be happy, healthy and CREATIVE!

Hello!

This blog is both a record of my work and an attempt to contribute to the vast inspiration that thousands of other creative people have given me via the internet.
I worked for many years in the fashion industry, designing prints, textiles and developing products for children. I now work as a freelance illustrator and make a variety of work under my own name. Some of the things that I make can be found in my etsy shop and in galleries and stores around Australia.